Wow. You dismiss two recessions which dwarf “The Great Recession” with a “so what?” By the way, the manipulation by the federal reserve at least represents the policies of the United States of America. The manipulation of the gold market could be done by the Saudis, the Chinese, or anyone else who decides they hate the United States. The 1873 recession destroyed the greatest empire to ever exist, the British Empire, which ruled over lands which now make up the majority of the population of the Earth. For two decades, the British economy collapsed, and by the time it regained its foothold, the French, Russians, Ottomans and Germans were vying for global supremacy.